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Murphy's Lore: Tales from the West

Bob Murphy – footballer, music fan, dog walker, coffee drinker, hand shaker, train traveller and tree lover – has been a favourite of footy followers for many a year. Now captain of his beloved Western Bulldogs, he’s showing the young pups at the Kennel how to play the great game the right way.

Collected here for the first time are the best of Bob’s much-loved weekly newspaper columns – including his ‘Fantasy Football League’ teams of film stars, musos and pollies. From the strange joy of a wet Melbourne winter to the challenge of playing on the sublime Stevie J, Murphy’s Lore shines with the warmth, wisdom and charm of the Dogs’ evergreen champion.

About the author

Bob Murphy played for the Western Bulldogs for 17 years and was their captain from 2015 to 2017. In 2015 Murphy was named captain of the year at the AFL Players Association awards and was also captain of the All-Australian team. The following year, …

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Praise for Murphy's Lore

‘I like Bob's writing. It's thoughtful, funny, perceptive. It could be the Irish in him, the way he comes at things slightly askew. And wherever he goes, music's always close by.’ —Paul Kelly

‘Bob writes like an elegant gonzo journalist. He’s in the thick of it, writing from the tense silence inside the maelstrom, without the belligerence and bellicosity, but as a team man, a family man, and one who cares about the game, whether it’s a kick in the park or at the most scrutinised level. A wink and a nod of a gift every week of the season.’ —Tim Rogers